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Q.Find an expression for the magnetic dipole moment of a revolving electron in an atom.

Uttarakhand UbseUttarakhand Board Intermediate (Class 12) 2022Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
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A revolving electron behaves as a tiny current loop; its magnetic moment is proportional to its angular momentum, with gyromagnetic ratio e/2me/2m.

Consider an electron of charge −e-e and mass mm revolving in a circular orbit of radius rr with speed vv around the nucleus, taking time period T=2πrvT = \dfrac{2\pi r}{v}.

This revolving charge constitutes a current loop, with equivalent current:

I=eT=ev2πrI = \dfrac{e}{T} = \dfrac{ev}{2\pi r}

The magnetic moment of a current loop is μl=I×A\mu_l = I\times A, where A=πr2A = \pi r^2 is the area enclosed by the orbit:

μl=ev2πr×πr2=evr2\mu_l = \dfrac{ev}{2\pi r}\times \pi r^2 = \dfrac{evr}{2}

The orbital angular momentum of the electron is L=mvrL = mvr, so vr=Lmvr = \dfrac{L}{m}. Substituting:

μl=e2×Lm=e2mL\mu_l = \dfrac{e}{2}\times\dfrac{L}{m} = \dfrac{e}{2m}L

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